Staying in hostels: 7 Things you need to know

By Krakow Crawl | March 1, 2018

One of the best things about modern-day travelling is staying in hostels. Hostels make travel affordable and accessible.

You don’t have to be a globetrotter to have good hostel etiquette. Still, surprisingly many backpackers don’t know the basics of staying in hostels.

So in this article, we will give you the most essential tips for staying in hostels.

If you ever get stuck with an annoying roommate, politely send them this post so that it will hopefully educate them and stop any further annoyance.

Let’s get into it.

Staying in hostels: essential tips

#1 Noise

Unless you’re staying at a party hostel that encourages you to drink and scream all night until 5:00 am, be quiet during the night. No one wants to listen to the videos on your phone or what your girlfriend had for lunch yesterday, just put your headphones in or leave the room. If you need to get something from the bottom of your suitcase, make it quick and minimise noise.

Tip: If you have an early flight or bus, back your backs the night before.

#2 Lights

This should be common knowledge, but don’t turn the lights on when people are sleeping.

#3 Courtship

We all love to get lucky while we’re travelling, but no-one wants to hear you screwing around. Try to find somewhere private(like a shower). If you have to do it in the room, no talking, laughing or messing around once you’re finished up, you’ve already put the 10+ people in your room through enough.

#4 Snoring

Everyone loves to sleep, so if you are a terrible snorer, try to book a smaller room to minimise the number of people you will torture. If someone in your room as a heave snowier, then sent them this great piece on how to stop snoring by Amstel House Hostel Berlin.

#5 Mess

Most hostels have dedicated lockers or space for each person, it’s a lot safer and more comfortable if you have your stuff in those spaces instead of spread across the entire room.

Booking.com

#6 Kitchen

No one expects you to mop the floors and scrub the sink but try to keep the mess to a minimum. If there is a communal fridge, always put your name on it to stop the hostel staff from chucking it or eating it.

#7 Hangover

It’s easy to have a few too many drinks when travelling, especially if the hostel has its own pub crawl. Make sure you check out our Hostel Hangover Guide to help you through the tough mornings.